The Dance Studio of Union Parish

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What's Going on NOW!

If you're interested in our next full year session, check out our Available Class Description page to find out more about the classes we offer! You can also view our Schedule of Classes for the current year schedule! There's something for EVERYONE!

Class space is limited so we highly recommend enrolling online and paying ASAP.  We accept cash in person, check by drop off or mail in, and we accept online payments sent through e-mail through Square with a small service fee.  Classes DO fill up so please request those classes and arrange to make your payments ASAP to save your place today!

REGISTRATION: Navigate to the Registration page to find a link to enroll online.  We will be open on Tuesdays and Thursday from 3-6 pm all of August to accept payments in person.

OPEN HOUSE: August 23 & 25th from 10am-6pm.
The Dance Wearhouse, a dance and tumble clothing and shoe store, will have a pop-up store in our studio for you to shop and outfit all of your students needs.
You may register at this time also, as we will have 2 laptops set up in our lobby with teachers available to help you through the process if you want the help, and Mrs Mary will be in the office to accept payments


Registration for our regular season begins August 1 and classes begin in September 6th

About The Dance Studio of Union Parish

The Dance Studio of Union Parish is owned and operated by Farmerville resident Angela Cusimano Russell and has been in operation in Farmerville since 2005. We are a recreational studio providing dance and acro classes to all ages of all skill levels in the fields of ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and tumble. We are also proud to offer all of our students a chance to attend competitions, conventions, and intensive workshops with organizations such as Dance Teachers United, Southern Association of Dance Masters, The Streetz Dance Convention, NYLA, and Twin City Ballet Company.  Ms Angie accepted the "Studio of Excellence" award in 2018 and was awarded the "Dance Teacher of the Year" recognition for 2021 from the Dance Teachers United organization.  Over the years we've been awarded placements in top 10, 5, and winning first place overall awards, choreography awards, and several special judges recognition awards along with the the privilege to have encore performances of winning or judges favorite pieces for solos, duets, trios, groups, and production pieces.  Our students have often performed at local festivals for entertainment.  Our favorite performances include the yearly performances at the local nursing homes, the annual Watermelon Festival Pageant, in 2018 our Level 5 girls performed at the Miss Tech Pageant, and then in the summer of 2019, our Ms Carsyn performed beautifully on the Miss Louisiana Pageant stage with her TCB family. We are proud to say several of our dancers have been performing members with the Twin City Ballet Company and we often invite our students to attend their summer intensive workshop.  Our primary goal is to provide a high quality of dance and tumble instruction while nurturing students grace, creativity, individuality, strength, and social skills as well as giving everyone a safe place to belong without fear of rejection. #DSUPFam

Our Team

#DSUPFamily

Ms Angie

Owner & Primary Instructor
Angela Cusimano Russell, better known as Ms Angie, is the daughter of Joe & Susan Cusimano and a lifetime resident of Farmerville. She began taking dance at the age of 3.  She attended Miss Jamie's, Miss Kelley's, and finally Miss Heather's School of Dance. By Jr high school she was a teacher's assistant and soon after became a member of the competition team attending numerous Southern Association of Dance Masters Conventions and Twin City Ballet Workshops.  In 2005, Ms Angie opened DSUP hoping to continue the work of one of her most important influences, teacher, friend, and mentor Ms. Heather Tyler Storm.  

Ms Angie is certified in ballet, tap, jazz, and acro under The Southern Association of Dance Masters. She has her BA in English from Louisiana Tech. Ms Angie has choreographed many award winning competition production, group, and solo pieces. She has worked with several Miss Louisiana Outstanding Teen and Miss Louisiana pageant candidates over the years including instructing, choreographing, and rehearsing Miss Louisiana contestants. Ms Angie often attends dance conventions and competitions to continue her education and refresh her choreography.

Ms Angie accepted the "Studio of Excellence" award in 2018 and was awarded the "Dance Teacher of the Year" recognition for 2021 from the Dance Teachers United organization. Her choreography has been awarded many times over the years with top placements and special recognitions.

Ms Angie & her husband Jake Russell still live in Farmerville and enjoy travel and exploring life with their long awaited first child, Miss Isla Rose.

Ms Starla

Instructor

Starla Gatson began studying dance at the age of 7, though according to her parents, Joe and the late Cassandra Gatson, she was dancing long before then. Her training began with Angela Cusimano Russell at the Dance Studio of Union Parish in 2005, and is proud to say she has been a part of the #DSUPFam ever since. After several years of assisting classes at the studio, she joined the staff as an instructor in 2013, following her certification in ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobatics instruction by the Southern Association of Dance Masters. 


Starla was a member of the award-winning DSUP teen/senior competition teams from 2011-2019 and performed in trios, small groups, and as a soloist. Though she no longer competes, she is still heavily involved with the DSUP competition team and has choreographed award-winning numbers. She has attended numerous dance competitions and conventions, training under established dancers and choreographers at organizations including The Streetz Dance, NYLA Dance, Southern Association of Dance Masters, and Dance Teachers United. She was also a performing member of the Twin City Ballet Company from 2012-2019, finishing her tenure with the company as an Artist-in-Residence. Each year, she participated in the company’s annual Christmas gala, Ballet Under the Stars, and also performed with the company in the Regional Dance America Southwest festivals in 2018 and 2019.


Starla graduated from Louisiana Tech University in November 2018 with a B.A. in Communication Studies and Journalism, and on the rare occasion that she is not dancing or thinking about dancing, Starla works as a freelance writer, having had her work published in BayouLife Magazine, Ruston Daily Leader, and Darling Magazine Online.


Ms Carsyn

Instructor

Carsyn Brasher is the daughter of Carol and Billy Brasher of Farmerville, LA. She started dance lessons in 2005 at age 3 and has been with Ms. Angie and DSUP since 2009. Carsyn has been part of DSUP’s award-winning competition teams for the better part of a decade, and she has earned numerous accolades as a soloist, duet partner, and small group member. She has been a teacher’s assistant for several years for ages 2 and up in every class DSUP offers, and in 2019, after testing with the Southern Association of Dance Masters, she became a Certified Student Teacher in ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobatics. As of July 2021, she is officially a full member and certified instructor, and following DSUP's return to the competition circuit the same year, an award-winning choreographer. 


In addition to dancing with DSUP, Carsyn was a member of the Twin City Ballet Company since 2012 and performed with the company until her final performance as an Artist in Residence in 2021.  Each year, she has played roles in the company’s annual Christmas gala and Ballet Under the Stars performances and performed with the company at the Regional Dance America Southwest festivals in 2018 and 2019. In 2020 she starred as the lead Grump for the Christmas ballet. Carsyn has also studied under world famous instructors through organizations such as Twin City Ballet, Southern Association of Dance Masters, Dance Teachers United, The Streetz, and NYLA Dance.


Carsyn is a 2020 graduate of Union Christian Academy, where she was one of two captains of the varsity cheer squad during the 2018-19 academic year and provided much of the group’s performance choreography. Carsyn excelled on and off the dance floor during her high school years, maintaining a 4.0 GPA as well as being an active member of the National Honors Society and 4H Club.


She currently attends the University of Louisiana Monroe and majors in math. Ms Carsyn was a member of the ULM Hawkline for the 2021-22 season and  is currently a member of the 2022-2023 ULM Hawkline dance team.


Ms Elise 

Instructor
Elise Johnston, the daughter of Mark and Jennifer Johnston, has been dancing for 16 years, 15 of which have been under the instruction of Ms Angie at the Dance Studio of Union Parish. She was also a member of Monroe's Twin City Ballet Company during the 2013-14 performance season. 

Elise was invited to join the DSUP competition team in 2014, and since then, she has won a number of awards as a soloist, trio teammate, duet partner, and small/large group member. She loves attending dance conventions to learn fresh choreography and compete with her #DSUPFam. 

Elise became a demonstrating and teaching assistant at DSUP when she was 12, but 5 years later, she transitioned into the role of instructor. Elise has since choreographed overall placement award-winning solos and groups not only for her students, but for herself, too. Not only is she a dancer, but she is also a talented artist and singer who can play multiple instruments.

Elise has been an assistant with DSUP since her early teens and was hired as a qualified instructor and choreographer in 2020.  She has choreographed several award winning solo's for herself and has already begun her career of award winning solo's and groups.

Elise graduated from Union Christian Academy in the class of 2021. She is currently a second-year college student at ULM majoring in kinesiology. She plans to eventually become a fully certified dance teacher, earn a doctorate in pediatric physical therapy, and continue her dance journey with her family and friends for years to come!
CONTACT US:

Address

301 N. Lafayette St.
Farmerville, La 71241

Contact

318-548-0124

Office Hours

August T/TH 3-6pm

Sept 6th - May 26th: 
Mon-Fri 3-6pm

Summer: By appointment only


Social

301 N. Lafayette St. Farmerville, la